by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI The Three Musketeers That’s how the executive host committee of the hugely successful IAPCO Conference which took place in Dublin last week described themselves. It’s worth dissecting the image as, I believe, there are crucial lessons here for success in business and in destination marketing in particular…. Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC In 1662 Irishman Robert Boyle made a scientific discovery that eventually allowed us to voyage to the bottom of the sea; 8 years later the exact same discovery was made by the Frenchman Edme Mariotte. The “multiple independent discovery” principle is well documented and includes Newton’s and… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Roger Dow: From Life Guard to Life Saver Roger Dow’s presentation to FICP on Tuesday AM was informative, inspiring and visionary and highlighted just how lucky the meetings and events industry is to have such a figure amongst its ranks. As President of USTA (United States Travel… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations MCI and Vice President, Ovation Global DMC On Saturday I leave for Los Angeles where I’ll be attending – and blogging from – the annual conference of FICP, the Financial and Insurance Corporate Planners Association. This will be my 7th FICP conference and I am looking forward to… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations, MCI Aisle or Window? I’m an aisle man through and through. Quick access to over-head lockers, fast track to the loo, it affords me the illusion of control in a place where, ultimately, I have zero control. For this trip I book very late and end up in a… Read more »
By Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations MCI It started with Rhonda Marko. Pretty quickly Joan Eisenstodt joined in and, more recently, Andrea Michaels. All strong and powerful women. All true icons of the meetings industry. I’m unsure whether they know each other personally but I’m certain they know of each other as all have carved… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI “It’s not who attends your event, it’s who participates” Sebastien Tondeur, CEO, MCI Samuel Johnson, or Dr Johnson as he was more commonly known, had a wonderful ability to summarise a universal truth in a single, simple sentence. His aphorisms are both sublime and ridiculous: “Integrity without… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations, MCI and VP, Destination Services, Ovation Global DMC The Importance of Giving Back Weather around DFW and a runway incident at ORD prevented my attendance at the pre-event reception and dinner at the Hyatt Regency. I was in time, however, to have a night cap with my buddy Jonathan… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations, MCI I’m sitting at Gate B4 at San Antonio International Airport, waiting for my flight with American Airlines back to Chicago and onwards home to Dublin. I’m surrounded by the anodyne, bland and deeply annoying ubiquity of Kenny G, an entirely inappropriate and unfair symbolic conclusion to a stimulating,… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations, MCI and VP, Ovation Global DMC At break of dawn 04:55 Alarm goes off. To avoid subconscious and ill-advised use of the snooze facility it has been placed far from the bed. It’s an ugly sound. I fall out of bed and snap it off. I head for the… Read more »